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VENUS 21°♐00′ square CHIRON 21°♓ 00’Rx (AngStoic.com)

VENUS 21°00′ square CHIRON 21° 00’Rx

Here’s one of those situations now where you may struggle to figure out whether what is being presented to you is a blessing or a curse.

You must look at it carefully, from every angle before you can decide whether to accept it or to let it go. You may reject it altogether based on how upsetting, or grotesque it looks but if you rush to make assumptions, chances are you may misjudge an opportunity to truly grow or heal.

As ghastly as it seems, the current situation has a point to make.

Truth be told, unless you come to accept things for what they truly are you cannot ever hope to let them go. Unless you can forgive yourself, forgive the other, forgive the entire situation – unless you can accept that the whole situation is well and truly over – that nothing about it triggers you emotionally any more, you will never be able to move on.

Venus, in this instance presents herself as one of those women whose features may look a little battered, torn, far from perfect, who in her mournful woundedness may not seem pretty, but who, inspired by the blood of her seditious candour, delivers something almost supernaturally beautiful.

Sometimes the most liberating gifts come wrapped in such awfully beaten packages.

Venus square Chiron

When we do finally find joy, we want it to last forever, but then, when there’s pain our first reaction is to avoid, ignore, or push it away. Reacting to joy or pain with any form of resistance – clinging hard to joy, pushing away or ignoring pain – we invite suffering. What helps us walk through our suffering and the suffering of others is to become aware of when we are reacting to pain and to learn to transform this reaction into a compassionate, caring response.

Becoming conscious of when we are reacting or in any way judging ourselves is the first step. The second step is becoming present with how our bodies, minds, and hearts are responding to the experience of pain or wounding. Setting an intention to be kind towards ourselves and letting go of reacting is what helps us to connect with compassion.

Here are some steps that you can take towards developing a caring and compassionate practice:

1. Consciousness is the first step. Observe when you are being reactive or triggered. Your body sends signals when reactivity happens. You might feel blood rushing to your face or a tensing up of the hands or body. Your breathing may be shallow and your thoughts may be filled with judgment.

2. Come to the present moment by letting go of thoughts and focusing on the sensation of the breath as it comes in and out of your body, or focus on feeling the ground beneath your feet. This helps to slow down reactivity and calm the mind.

3. Acknowledge the difficulty or pain you are facing in this moment, with a a simple gesture such as placing your hand on your heart. Imagine the hand on heart as a symbolic opening of your heart to compassion or sending healing to the hurt place inside.

4. Visualise yourself being held or embraced by a spirit guide or an angel, or someone who loves you.

5. Allow yourself to accept the healing sensation of compassion until you feel calmer and more connected to the present moment.

When we give permission to ourselves to care for ourselves and others, a profound act of kindness refills our heart, energises our entire body, and nourishes our soul. In just that moment of opening our hearts to our Self and to others, we come to recognise the immense healing power of compassion and at once we reconnect with life and love.